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Wedding Dress Styles for All Body Types

Sometimes brides find that “perfect” dress in a wedding magazine (sometimes three years prior to getting engaged), and unfortunately have unrealistic expectations on how that particular dress is going to look on them. Although, I’m not here to burst your bubble… I just may right now. Believe me though, it’s all for your own benefit; because, when you see all those pictures on Facebook three days later, you don’t want to be thinking, “Oh man, was that really what I looked like?!?!” So let me go through a couple different styles with you.

If you are an hourglass figure, you pretty much have it made. You will look fabulous in almost any style of dress. I personally love the mermaid style dress on hourglass figures. It hugs your body in all the right places, and really shows off your waist. I would only caution those that are petite, as you may not want a full ball gown dress… as these can sometimes look as if they are swallowing you up… literally.

So what do you wear if you’re petite? Try a sheath dress. These are made with flowing fabric and aren’t too “poofy.” If you like the look of the ball gown for it’s dramatic appearance, find a sheath dress that has intricate details instead.

If you have full bust line I would suggest wearing a dress with a slight to moderate curve in the neckline. This offsets your full figured chest without being immodest. Halter-tops are also a wonderful style, as you don’t feel it necessary to keep pulling up your dress (because although you may not know, constantly pulling up your wedding dress is actually pretty unattractive when it comes to your wedding photography and videography).

Pear shaped hips are discretely hidden by an a-line dress. A-lines draw the eye upward, especially with details such as beading or a bow on the bodice. These waists balance out the rest of one’s body shape.

If your shoulders are broad try a mermaid dress or a shorter gown (if it’s a casual wedding). A shorter dress will take the eyes off the shoulders and draw attention to the details at the hem of your dress, and then ultimately to those perfect shoes that you picked out nine months ago.

To add curves to your body (especially for a rectangular figure) go for a dress that accents a certain point on your torso. Both an empire and an a-line dress can help create this structure. However, you can also wear a flowy sheath that will create an illusion of a curvy figure.

Honestly, I love this look, and if I could go back and change anything about my wedding dress, this would be it. Not even because of my arms (even though those need hidden too), but simply because now I appreciate the timeless elegance of this look.

Check back this weekend for another blog post and don’t forget to vote what style is your favorite down below!